A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation – to us and the world
The Parasha in our everyday life- Parashat Kedoshim – Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day - 5782
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Rosh Yeshivat Hesder 'Meir Harel' Modi'in
We are in the days of remembrance, times of Redemption. Days in which we mark the Return to Zion for the third time. From destruction to resurrection. This year these days are taking place amid security tensions at home and abroad. This reminds us that we have not yet finished the War of Independence and we have a long way to go. The focus of tensions around Jerusalem and the Temple Mount expresses the roots of the unresolved conflict, which not only undermines our national and territorial affiliation with the country but first and foremost with the religious affiliation. This was stated by representatives of the Islamic movements explicitly. And still, some refuse to accept it. In their conception, the conflict lies with everything reminiscent of a connection to the world of any religion. Accordingly, the solutions they offer will not be able to solve the problem and will make it difficult for us to move forward in the process.
In each generation this tension takes on a different form, it's ‘anti-Semitism’, and in our generation, it is 'anti-Israel'. And in each generation it's with different intensity. A phenomenon that has no equal in any other nation in the world?! No nation and religion in the world have been persecuted throughout history like the Jews and the Jewish religion, and have been a target of annihilation like the Jewish people. And even today: in the face of the atrocities and murders of thousands that are happening all the time around the world, the world is not converging but condemning the State of Israel!
There have been many attempts to explain the phenomenon in rational and sociological forms. Without success. The explanations always seem too simplistic about the intensity of the resistance and the abysmal hatred. The human mind is not able to understand what can cause such great hatred that will lead to the systematic and satanic genocide, of infants and their mothers, of helpless old men, just because they are Jews. Just as the mind has a hard time digesting the magnitude of the hatred that a suicide bomber has to turn himself into a 'mobile bomb' just to kill as many Jews as possible.
This year we read Parshat Kedoshim between Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel, and Victims of Actions of Terrorism (that fell on the sanctity of the people and the land), and Independence Day.
The Parasha was said in the presence of the entire congregation, which is similar to the status of Mount Sinai
מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ בְּהַקְהֵל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרֹב גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה תְלוּיִּין בָּהּ
"This teaches us that this section was proclaimed in full assembly because most of the fundamental teachings of the Torah are dependent on it (contained in it)". (Rashi Vayikra 19:2).
The Parasha opens with a commandment to be holy:
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקיכֶֽם׃
"Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy". (Vayikra 19:1-2)
This is a special, inclusive commandment, in addition to the other 613 commandments of the Torah (Ramban ibid) that is intended to express a high virtue that the people of Israel are required to ascend to and to express in life. However, this is not just the destiny of the individual. The people of Israel as a nation have a special destiny:
וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ...
"but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Shmot 19:6)
וְאַנְשֵׁי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְי֣וּן לִ֑י
"You shall be holy people to Me"(Shmot 22:30)
In the words of Rabbi Kook, Z"l: "There are followers, philosophers, Holy people, and men of G-d in every nation in the world, seeking to lead a holy life but there is no nation in the world with an individual and collective national soul that wants a holy public life as Israel". (Orot Hatchiya 2).
This destiny is a demanding task for the individual and the nation, and only the people of Israel were willing to bear the burden of all nations. Stand at Mount Sinai and shout " נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע- All that Hashem has spoken we will faithfully do!”
To express in the world, the divine holiness כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקיכֶֽם׃
"You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy"
This is the inherent difference between all nations. And at this point the conflict was born:
למה נקרא שמו סיני, שירדה ממנו שנאה לעובדי כוכבים, שהן מקנאין את ישראל בתורתן.
"Why is it called Sinai, for hatred descended unto idolaters, who envied Israel for their Torah" (Midrash Lekach Tov Shmot 19:18)
The model and pretension of holiness in the physical world. Maimonides spoke widely about this:
קנאונו העכו''ם כלם על דתנו קנאה גדולה וילחצו מלכיהם בשבילה לערער עלינו שטנה ואיבה ורצונם להלחם בה' ולעשות מריבה עמו ואלהים הוא ומי ירב לו
"Therefore, all the nations instigated by envy and impiety rose against us, and all the kings of the earth motivated by injustice and enmity applied themselves to persecute us. They wanted to thwart G-d, but He cannot be thwarted." (Iggerot HaRambam Iggeret Teiman 10)
The reason for the opposition to Israel's people and religion is what they represent - the transcendent holy and divine presence in the world. We have to understand now what gentiles will understand when the complete redemption arrives: that this holiness is inwardly demanding, it is not arrogant, and is not an excuse for forceful tyranny and missionary coercion over others. It comes to contribute to humanity, without distinction, and not to take from it. And it allows much more than some gentiles allow other gentiles.
We shall merit a prompt and complete redemption.